Electric heater and means for controlling the same.



No. 091,400. v PATENTED JUNE 23, 1000.

P. A. BROWN.

ELECTRIC HEATER AND MEANS FOR CONTROLLING THE SAME.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 20, 1000.

1 z SHEETS-SHEET 1.

PEABOBY A. BROWN, OF DENVER, COLORADO.

ELECTRIC HEATER AND MEANS FOR CONTROLLING THE Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 23,1908.

Application filed August20, 1906. Serial No. 331,287.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PEABODY A. BROWN, citizen of the United States, residing at 1431 Sixteenth street, in the city and county of- Denver and State of Colorado, have invented certain new and useful Im rovements in Electric Heatersand Means or Controlling the Same, and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact descri tion of the invention, such as will enable t ers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to theletters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to improvements in plectric heaters and controlling means there- In my improved heater I employ hollow bodies wound with resistance wire, the said bodies being open at both'ends to ermit radiation from the interior as well as t e exterior surface thereof. In the same circuit with the resistance coils, I locate an electromagnet preferably also composed of hollow bodies wound with resistance wire whereby the magnet portion of the device performs .the double function of an electro-magnet and a heating device. The electric circuit is-controlled by a thermostat capable of adjust- 'ment to make and break the circuit at predetermined temperatures. In the breaking of the circuit I also utilize the armature of the electro-magnet, whereby as soon as the temperature reaches a sufficiently high limit to break the circuit by the movement ofthe bar of the thermostat, thus deenergizing the magnet, a spring connected with the armature of the ma net, aids in separating the contacts throug which the currentpasses, one of said contacts being on the bar of the thermostat and the other on the armature of the magnet. I

My improved heater and controllin means maybe em loyed in. many difierent' r5 two only of which are illustrated in the draw- -ing. One' of'these devices is an electrically heated sadiron; and the other a radiator which may be employed in all relations where steam and hot water radiators are generally used for house warming urpos'es. I

Having brief? outlined my 'mproved construction as we as the functionit is intended to perform, I will proceed to describe the same in detail referencebeing made to the .drawin f bodyof t removable top 6 secured in lace by screws 7 or other suitable fastening .evices. top plate is attached a handle 8. Within the -9 composed of insulating material. tubes are provided with resistance coils 1O ations,

accompanying drawing in. which is illustrated an embodiment thereof.

In this drawing, Figure 1 is a top view of an electrically heated sadiron with the top plate removed. Fig. 2 is a top lan View of to be performed.

. The same reference characters indicate the same parts in all the views.

Referring first to Figs. 1,. 2 and 3 of the let the numeral 5 designate the he sadiron which is provided with a To this casing is located a series of open ended tubes These surrounding t e same exteriorly. The said tubes are composed of insulating material of such a nature that they constitute good heatradiating devices. These tubes are mounted on a suitable frame 12.

In. one extremity of the casing is located I the electro-magnet composed-ofdouble tubes 13 and 14. The special construction of the .magnet tubes is-illustrated .in the upper part of Fig. 4 which is a section of the magnet tubes. These tubes are provided with hollow cores 13 and 14, respectively and with outer shells 13 and 14 respectively. The members 13 and 14 are provided at their extremities with heads which the extremities of the shells engage. The hollow cores are wound with coils while the shells are also I wound, both sets of coils being in the circuit of the heating coils proper. The double tubes of the magnets perform the heating and radiating function as well as the electromagnet function. Pivotally connected with the. frame 15 of the ma net as shown at 16,-

is an armature 17 provi ed at one extremity with an insulating piece 18 towhich' is at tached a'contact 19 preferably composed of carbon. This contact 19 is connected with a circuit wire 20 by a screw 21. with which is made fast to the magnet frame. Within the sadiron casing is also located a thermostat bar 23 composed of twometal plates riveted connected one extremity of-a coil spring 22 electro magnet features.

also provided with a smaller contact 24 located on the cold side of the bar. The extremity of the bar remote from the contact 24 is connected with a lever-like adjusting device 25 fulcrumed on the base of the sadiron as shown at 26, one extremity of the device 25 being bent upwardly as shown at 27 and passing through a curved slot 28 formed in the top of the sadiron. This protruding extremity of the device 25 is'provided with a manipulating projection 29 carrying a pointer 30 located adjacent a graduated plate 31. By'manipulating the device 25, the thermostat bar may be set to open and close the circuit at-predetermined tem eratures. It will be understood that i the pointer extremity of the device 25 is moved toward the left referring to Figs. 1 and 2, the contact extremity of the thermostat bar Will be thrown toward the contact 19; while'if the pointer extremity of the device 25 is moved in the opposite direction the thermostat bar will be actuated to separate the contacts 19 and 24. v

The circuit wires may be connected with any suitable source of electricity. These wires leading from theo positepoles of the electrical source may be designated A and B, respectively. One of the wires, A leads to the thermostat bar which is insulated from the device 25 as shown at 39; while the other wire B leads to the resistance coils of the various tubes comprising the heating feature proper as well as the combined heating and The resistance coils may be designated C. After leavin the various tubes of the sadiron, .the coils merge into a circuit wire 20 (heretofore re-,

ferred to) which passes thence to a contact screw 21whereby the current passes to the contact 19 of the armature 17.

When the device is in use the operator will first set the pointer 30in such a position on the graduated scale, that the circuit shall be closed by the thermostat bar 23 when the or predetermined temperatures.

In the-construction shown in Fig. 4, the magnet composed of the double tubes 13 and 14, is mounted on a base late 32 separate from the plate 33 upon Wlhich the heating tubes 9 are mounted being supported in suitable frame plates 34 secured tothe base b screws 35 passed through lugs 36. For a 1 practical pur oses the construction shown in this View is t e same as that disclosed in Figs. 1 to 3 inclusive except that in one case the invention is employed as a sadiron heater, while in the other case it is employed for heating rooms or heating purposes generally. For the purpose of controlling a radiator for heating rooms it is advantageous to have the thermostat placed in a different location from that of the radiator itself. For this reason, in illustrating this use of the device, I have shown the two features mounted on separated base plates whereby they may be placed as far apart as desired. In the construction illustrated in this view a conductor 37 is employed to connect the coils of the magnet with the resistance coils of the radiator heater proper. The manner of regulating the thermostat is the same in this construction as in that disclosed in the other views and therefore need not be further explained in detail.

The armature 17 of the electro-magnet is provided with an opening in the extremity remote from the contact 19, through which a screw 38 asses. The opening in the armature is su ciently lar e to allow the latter to move freely back an forth on the screw, in response to the influence of the magnet or the tension of the spring 22 as circumstances may require.

From the foregoing description the use and operation of my improved device will be readily understood. In the first place the ointer of the lever-like device for controlling the thermostat should be adjusted to occupy a position on the graduated scale'31, corresponding to the temperature at which it is desired to make and break the circuit by the movement of the thermostat bar. When the circuit is closed, the electric current may be said to pass from one pole of the electric source through the conductor A, the thermostat bar 23, the contacts 24 and .19, the conductor 20, the coils of the electro magnets, the resistance coils of the heating tubes, and out through the conductor B to the other pole of the electrical source (not shown). When the circuit is closed the heat generated by the passage of the current through the resistance coils, will raise the temperature in the vicinity of the thermostat bar, and after this temperature has reached a predetermined limit, the expansion of the bar located nearer the armature of the magnet, will cause the bar to curve in such a manner as to separate the two contacts 24 and 19. This separation is aided or facilitated by the spring 22 which is under tension and acts to quickly separate the two contacts and thus prevent arcing of the current which would be injurious and have a tendency to quickly burn out the engaging contacts. It will be understood as soon as the electro-magnet ceases to of the screw 38.

act on the portion of the armature 17 at the left of the fulcrum 16, the action of the spring 22 connected with the armature at the right of the fulcrum, will serve to pull the contact 19 away from the contact 24, in which event the opposite extremity of the armature 17 will be thrown outwardly toward the head After the circuit is broken, the radiating tubes, will gradually cool and after the temperature has fallen sufficiently,

the thermostat bar Will move in the opposite direction and bring the contacts 19 and 24 again into engagement. As soon as this occurs the influence of the electro-magnet, acts to draw the portion of the armature 17 at the left of its fulcrum, inwardly toward the coils of the magnet, thus forcing the contact 19 tightly against the contact 24 whereby a perfect electrical connection is made.

There is another difference not heretofore specified between the construction shown in Figs. 1 to 3 inclusive and that shown in Fig. 4, since in the latter the magnet coils should not be resistance coils since it is not desired that the magnet coils should be heating coils but that the heat should all come from the construction mounted on the base plate 33. There is another feature which I deem of considerable importance, namely that the carbon contactsv 19 and 24' have their engaging faces beveled whereby as they come together there is a sliding action which has a tendency to, keep them clean and prevent corrosion thereby keeping the contacts in condition to maintain a perfect circuit when they are in engagement.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is: v

1. In an electric heater, the combination with a circuit, of a series of cores composed of insulating material and surrounded by resistance coils located within the circuit, a thermostat for controlling said circuit, and an electro-magnet having coils within the circuit andprovided with an armature coo erating with the movable element of t e thermostat, to make and break the circuit.

2. In an electric heater, the combination with a circuit, of aseries of hollow, openended, I insulating cores adapted to' radiate heat from their interior and exterior surfaces,

resistance coils surrounding said cores and located in the said circuit, an electro-magnet comprising cores also surrounded by resistance coils and also located in the circuit, an armature located ad'a'cent the electromagnet and rovided wit a contact forming an element 0 the circuit, a thermostat whose movable element is provided With a contact also located in the circuit and cooperating with the contact of the armature to make and break the circuit, and a spring connected with the armature to facilitate the breaking of the circuit as the movable element of the thermostat begins its circuit breaking movement. p

v 3. An electric heater, comprising a series of hollow insulating cores adapted to radiate heat both from their interior and exterior surfaces, resistance coils surrounding said cores, an electro-magnet having COllS located erating with the contact of the armature,-

and a lever-like device connected with the bar of the thermostat for adjusting the latter to re ulate the movement of the bar necessary orclosin the circuit, and a s ring connected with t e armature to facllitate the breaking of the circuit.

4. The combination ,with an electric heater, of an electro-magnet whose coils are in the same circuit with the coils of the heater, the armature of. the magnet being provided with a beveled contact locatedin the circuit, and a thermostat for automatically making and breaking the circuit, the movable bar of the thermostat also having a beveled contact adapted to engage that of the armature when the circuit is closed, the beveled faces of the two contacts being arranged to engage each other for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

PEABODY A. BROWN. 

